Over the course of a month, NBC 5 documents the process of getting an injured and homeless pet named Peggy ready for adoption. When brought to the shelter, Peggy's fluffy hair was matted and a part of a leg was missing and trying to heal itself. Peggy is now healthy and living with her new adopted family. (Published Monday, Aug. 14, 2017)

Quarantine, is where no dog wants to be.

But for strays at the Grapevine Animal Shelter in North Texas, their time at the shelter often starts in quarantine, which is also the first step to getting help.

“We try to give every animal the opportunity to be healthy and then find, you know, a great family,” Kristina Valentine said.

Peggy, a 3-year-old terrier mix, is one of those animals.

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The small fluffy dog with a sweet demeanor faces a painful reality: The lower half of Peggy’s right-front leg is missing.

"It may have been stuck in something, and it's trying to heal on its own," Valentine said, noting an infection on the dog's wound that the shelter needed to care for before Peggy could be placed for adoption.

Dr. Jason Steinle of Northwest Animal Hospital said Peggy's leg may have been caught in a fence or wire, "something that would have cut through that or a trap potentially."

“The body’s been trying to deal with this for a little while, it didn’t just happen yesterday,” Steinle said.

Valentine explained that medical care for homeless animals like Peggy isn't cheap, and shelters work on a limited budget. Thanks to donations and the team of vets at Northwest Animal Hospital in Grapevine, Peggy received the surgery she needed — including getting spayed.

More than 53,000 pets were adopted through the 2016 Clear the Shelters campaign, a nationwide push to place deserving animals in forever homes. Join the conversation on social media using #ClearTheShelters.